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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29994852">Sunlight Drawn By The Clouds</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonoreos/pseuds/moonoreos'>moonoreos</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Pride and Prejudice Fusion, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Minato &amp; Kushina are alive &amp; well, Naruto/Hinata &amp; Tsunade/Jiraiya in the background, Non-Massacre AU, Slow Burn, even though we may not get to see much of them, i'm bringing everyone back to life lol, same goes for Fugaku + Mikoto + Itachi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 19:01:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,023</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29994852</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonoreos/pseuds/moonoreos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a shinobi carrying a prominent bloodline limit must be in search of a highly accomplished kunoichi—for only the best of the best are deemed genetically worthy of marrying into clans tracing back to the great founders.</p><p> </p><p> <b>A SasuSaku Pride &amp; Prejudice AU</b></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>83</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>how does this fandom not already have a p&amp;p au? i took it upon myself to rectify the situation.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a shinobi carrying a prominent bloodline limit must be in search of a highly accomplished kunoichi—for only the best of the best are deemed genetically worthy of marrying into clans tracing back to the great founders.</p>
<p></p><div>
  <p>New though this trend may have been—it had only been seven years since the daimyo abolished laws dictating exclusive intra-clan marriages—quickly and irreversibly, it had become intrinsic to the social fabric of the Land of Fire.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>And so it happened one fine spring day, that a fairly large group proudly waving the Uzumaki emblem stepped through the time worn gates of Konohagakure. This news reached far and wide in only a few moments, for words traveled faster than light in these parts. By noon, every household within a five kilometer radius of the central market had surmised that there was an eligible bachelor in town. <em>Two</em> eligible bachelors, if some particularly enthusiastic market goers were to be believed.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Senju Jiraiya broke into a run in his haste to make his way back home from the market. It was to be a race to snag the new bachelor, and Jiraiya had no intentions of losing.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“My dear Tsunade-hime, have you heard that the Namikaze estate is let at last?” He innocently began, when he found his wife in the family room as he knew he would.</p>
  <p>Senju Tsunade sat in a large armchair, a tattered copy of <em>Game Theory</em> in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I sure have not,” Tsunade said, without taking her eyes off of the book.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Take a guess, why don’t you?” Jiraiya playfully insisted.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I don’t know. Has Orochimaru somehow managed to revive himself once again and decided the Yondaime’s estate should fill the hole left by his depraved need to master every possible jutsu under the sun?”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Um not quite, you get some points for creativity though.” Jiraiya raised a concerned brow at his wife, but chose to maintain his momentum. “It’s Uzumaki Naruto! The Yondaime’s heir has returned! At last!”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Pray tell, what has that to do with us?”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Are you going to make me say it?”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Yes, Jiraiya. That is how people communicate.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Jiraiya suspected his wife may have chosen to skip mixing some sake in her cup of coffee this morning. No doubt that was the reason why she was so testy this early in the day.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“The heir is <em>unmarried</em>, and at the ripe age of twenty-two too. Wouldn’t one of our beautiful daughters just make the perfect bride for the young man? Sakura-chan catches everyone’s eyes at first, but Hinata-chan's unique beauty remains unrivaled in the entire village!”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Hinata just turned twenty last summer. It is not yet time for her to marry,” Tsunade said, disinterestedly. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Twenty <em>is</em> a bit young, but think of the opportunities this union would afford her! The opportunities it would afford us!” </p>
</div><div>
  <p>At this, a fat vein popped out in one corner of Tsunade’s wide forehead. She had gotten quite proficient at ignoring the willful ways of her husband in recent years, but sometimes she came very close to snapping and flinging him across the village with a lazy flick of her finger. Just like the old days.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Jiraiya remained oblivious to the dark cloud suddenly shrouding his wife’s countenance. “Hinata-chan as an heiress! Just imagine!”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Is Hinata agreeable to a marriage?” </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“We need to make their acquaintance immediately.” Jiraiya was pacing across the family room, deep inside his own head. “Oh, I know it! Why don’t you go visit the young Uzumaki, ask about his journey and welcome him to the village? The Shodaime’s grand-daughter extending her well wishes to the Yondaime’s only son is just about the most natural way to wedge our way in, don’t you think?”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Tsunade closed the book, set her coffee on a side table, and let out a prolonged, long suffering sigh. It escaped Jiraiya’s notice entirely, like she knew it would.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Jiraiya,” she said, standing up. The man immediately stopped pacing.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“You know how I feel about you talking about our daughters like they are livestock, don’t you?”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Jiraiya’s eyes widened, his palms up and head shaking in defense. “Please don’t misunderstand, darling. You know I only want the best for our girls.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Tsunade did know that. But she raised her daughters to be independent, purpose-driven women, and thus she had no intention of setting their growth back by pursuing a shameless scheme such as this. “You are not to bring this up in front of Hinata. That girl has just realized her dream of becoming a teacher at the academy. I will not have you or some flashy heir rip that away from her.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>This brought Jiraiya back down to earth, finally made him see eye-to-eye with his wife. “Hinata also dreams of having a family of her own, a house bursting with cackles of young children, an adoring husband who loves her for <em>her</em>. I don’t believe one dream is more important than the other.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Tsunade internally cursed her husband’s excessive sentimentality. Given how she came into their lives, they were both especially attuned to ensuring Hinata’s every need was met.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Be that as it may,” she said, brows furrowed in disapproval. “We must wait until she comes of age.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“That’s just a few months away from now! We can’t let this pass on a technicality! That boy is going to get snagged in the next two weeks, I’m telling you,” he said, shaking his head.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>When Tsunade just stared at him, Jiraiya decided he wasn’t going to win this one. He rolled his eyes dramatically, and haughtily huffed out, “Fine!” </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Tsunade’s lips slowly curled upwards. She stepped closer and embraced the pouting man. “Thank you, dear. I know you love our girls very much, but they are not quite ready to flee the nest yet.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Alright,” Jiraiya grumbled, making sure his disagreement was well and known. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Tsunade pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, picked up her cup of coffee, and walked out of the room.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Jiraiya was disappointed, but not discouraged. He had conceded to her demand to scrap the idea of arranging a visitation to the Namikaze estate. But if the young Uzumaki happened upon Hinata somewhere in public and decided to pursue her of his own accord, he could not be incriminated for the match.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Tsunade was a woman of principle, but Jiraiya's cunning was nothing if not persistent.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>What difference did a slightly crooked morality make anyway? Both of them had once been revered as the Sannin, just as they were whispered about having fallen from grace these days. In the end, both of them wanted the best for their daughters, and that was the only thing which mattered.</p>
</div><hr/><p>There were very few things in life that irked Uchiha Sasuke more than delays caused by unforeseen circumstances. The trek from Uzushiogare had been long and cumbersome in itself, but the carriage wheel getting jammed in a mud puddle on the last leg of their journey had been the straw that broke the camel’s back.</p>
<p></p><div>
  <p>Outside, a tussle had broken out between Naruto and four of his clones; each frustrated with the others for their inability to unjam the wheel. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I could burn the wheel!”  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“How about I rip it to shreds?” </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“How are we going to complete the rest of the journey with a wheel missing, idiot?”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“My jutsus were not designed for crap like this, -ttebayo!”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Even by Naruto’s standards, this conversation made very little sense. Sasuke wondered if Naruto’s one brain cell got divided five ways when he called his bunshins, so each of the mouthy clones was working off one-fifth of his regular intellect. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>That would explain a lot, actually.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I could slice it!”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“What good would that do?!”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Sasuke decided it was time to intervene. He propped the carriage door open, and stepped on to the muddy ground. At least, his face was met with crisp, cool air—a luxury he couldn’t have enjoyed in Uzushiogare.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Sasuke, can you tell these morons we can’t destroy the wheel?!” Naruto—the real one probably—yelled.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“You mean you are a moron!” One clone quipped, and the rest burst into a sharp chorus of laughter. In the next moment, they were surrounded by a large cloud of smoke, and when it cleared, only one Naruto remained.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Sasuke sighed. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I don’t think brute force will work here,” he said, finally. If the collective strength of five Naruto bunshins didn’t do the job, he doubted anyone else in their party was fit for the job. “How long until we get to Konoha?”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“About an hour, Uchiha-sama,” one of the attendants responded.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“How long by foot?”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Probably five.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Well, it could be worse. Sasuke turned to Naruto, who was crouched by the muddy wheel, staring at it with uncharacteristic concentration like that was going to magically pluck the wheel out from the mud.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Naruto, we should walk the rest of the way. It’s still early morning. We’d make it by early afternoon.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Are you telling me you can’t fix this?!” Ino shrieked from inside the carriage. She stuck her head out through the door left open by Sasuke, and continued, “You know, for being elite shinobis, you two are useless.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Why don’t you come here and figure this out yourself then?!” Naruto spat back at his sister.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“As if I have nothing better to do, hmph!” Ino snarked, and retreated back into the carriage.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“You <em>literally</em> have nothing better to do!” Naruto barked back.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Oh wow, what’s all this commotion about?” An unfamiliar voice rang out from the bend they had passed just before rolling right into this mud trap.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Everyone turned to look for the source of the voice. Even Ino had creeped her neck back out to get a look.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>The morning sun, still rising on the horizon, backlit the stranger's figure. Sasuke could make out a female, lithe and graceful in her strides, but that was about it. Slowly, she came into clearer view as she approached them with wide steps. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The first thing that struck Sasuke was not the pink hair, but the gleaming green eyes that immediately reminded him of his mother’s herb garden back home. Memories of his morning strolls and the scent of basil and perilla leaves descended upon him so vividly, he wondered if he had been transported back for a couple of moments.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Do you guys need help?” The new girl said with an open smile.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“If these grown ass men can’t make this thing budge, I highly doubt a dainty thing like you will be able to,” Ino said, gruffly. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Sasuke realized too late that he had just been staring at the girl. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>That was one step above Naruto, who was staring at her with his mouth hanging open.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Oh!” The girl said, brightly. “Why don’t I give it a shot?”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“You need not bother. We don’t have time to waste.” Sasuke somehow found his voice, overcompensating for his previous slip by adding an undue edge to his words.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>She turned to him, meeting his eyes for the first time. Sasuke was glad he had his mouth clamped shut, because he wasn't sure he would have been able to suppress the gasp that almost left his throat.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Up close, front and center, she was very likely the most attractive woman he had ever laid eyes on. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but wisps of pink still framed her delicate face. Her skin glistened with a thin sheet of perspiration, traces of smudged dirt on one cheek, along the side of her right jaw, and on the tip of her nose. She was this perfect, impossible mix of rugged and refined. Sasuke felt an inexplicable urge to activate his sharingan, so he could study her face more closely.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“You can certainly take a look though!” Naruto jumped in to break the tension that suddenly surrounded them. “We had several hands trying to pull the wheel out but no luck.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Naruto whistled prompting the horses to start pulling the carriage. The wheel spun violently, digging deeper into the sludge.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>The girl moved past Sasuke, not sparing him another look. She secured a foot against a rock, leaning on it to crouch next to Naruto. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Ah.” She said, knowingly. She grabbed the curve of the wheel with a gloved hand, using another to firmly grip one of the spokes. Sasuke almost rolled his eyes at the absurdity of it.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Then, to the astounding shock of everyone in their party, she lifted the jammed wheel off the mud it had been spinning against like it was nothing but an empty cardboard box. She deftly pulled the wheel, shifting the carriage a bit, so it could land on solid ground.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Whooooa!” Naruto let out, palms flying over to the back of his head in disbelief.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“What did you eat for breakfast!” Ino yelped, brows furrowed in confusion. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The girl straightened up and dusted her gloved hands, casually letting them rest on her hips. “Easy, peasy.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The attendants started clapping at this point. Sasuke could hear excited voices, crying praises about the physical prowess of Konoha’s kunoichis.  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Now, if you could excuse me,” she said to Sasuke with cold, challenging eyes. “You’re in my way.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Sasuke moved aside in a daze. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Well, safe travels!” She said with one last look at the group, and started running ahead of them.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“WHO ARE YOU?!” Naruto screamed out to her, only to be greeted with a wave of a hand, back still turned to them.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>She leaped into the thick of trees a little ways ahead and disappeared. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Sasuke tried to process what had just happened, but decided he had better leave it for later when his head had stopped spinning.   </p>
</div><hr/><p>“What the hell was that guy's problem? It doesn’t hurt to be nice,” Sakura grumbled to herself. People who acted like they were better than her automatically failed her litmus test for general human decency. With parents who were previously glorified but now ridiculed on the down low, this had been a lesson learned the hard way. It looked like they were headed to Konoha too, which was just fantastic.</p><p><em>Like the village needs more self-important, snobby dickheads</em>, she bitterly thought.</p>
<p></p><div>
  <p>Sakura’s anger was as quick to rise as it was to dissipate. She was already in better spirits when she flew in through the gates. After a month-long mission to Suna, the thoughts of taking a nice, long bath and sleeping in her own bed were most pleasing.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I’m home!” She chimed as soon as she stepped into the foyer of her house. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Sakura! My dearest daughter!” She heard her father exclaim. He came bustling out of the family room, his eyes alight with mischief.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Oh no, what is it this time?” She feigned disapproval, but couldn’t keep up the facade when her father pulled her in for a bear hug and spun her around like she was a rag doll.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Otousan! Put me down!” She slapped his shoulders in jest, but it worked all the same.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He set her down, but held on to her shoulders. “You know, you were our miracle baby. You came to us like an answer to all of our prayers back then, and here you are again! In front of me after weeks away from home, right when I need you!”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Wait, did you get your library card revoked again? How many times have I told you that you can’t keep the books you borrow from the library?!” Sakura admonished her father.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“No, no, it’s not that,” he shook his head. “I am just so happy you’re back home in time for the Spring Festival! We were worried you’d miss it this year.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Sakura’s face suddenly lit up. Her work developing curriculums for an upcoming poison course in Suna had been so hectic, she had completely forgotten that her favorite festival of the year was right around the corner. “I didn’t even realize it was that time already. Thank you for reminding me, Otousan.” She felt affection rising for her bumbling, well-meaning father.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“How could I forget? I’ve got new kimonos purchased for all of you.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Sakura wasn’t one for material things, but new kimonos always made her feel giddy. Perhaps, it was the novelty of wearing them on those rare, special occasions only. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I can’t wait to see it!” Sakura ran to her room, and heard her father follow in her footsteps. “Where’s everyone?” </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Oh, out and about somewhere, I’m sure,” he said vaguely, leaning against her door frame.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>The kimono had been laid across her bed. An amalgamation of red and pink flowers with edges lined in blue—she was instantly in love. Sakura knew she reeked of sweat and was doused in all manner of dirt she’d picked up along the way, but she couldn’t resist picking up the outfit and pressing it against her body.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I knew you’d like this one,” her father said, smiling fondly. “You should make sure Hinata joins you. She’s been working herself to the bone these days. She deserves a night off.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I will physically drag her over if I need to,” she said, brimming with joy.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Sakura loved her job, she loved that it took her places and gave her an opportunity to get familiar with cultures foreign to her own. If it was a thirst for adventure and wanderlust that made her skip her steps on her way out of the village, her chaotic family was always the thing that made the journey back just as exciting.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>As she carefully laid the kimono back on her bed and stared at it dreamily, she completely missed the smug smile dancing on her father’s painted face. </p>
</div><div><p><em>Let the chips fall where they may</em>, Jiraiya thought, entirely too pleased with himself.</p>
<hr/><p>tbc</p><p>/</p><p>would love nothing more than to hear what you guys think!</p></div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Konoha was, more or less, exactly what he had come to expect from his mother’s many fond stories of her hometown.</p>
<p>Deep, layered green for as long as eyes could see, running all the way up to the horizon, wet puddles and rich scent of petrichor lingering in the air due to the sporadic showers that punctuated several points of the day, houses—new and old, with fresh coats of paint and janky rooftops—crowding the heart of the village, where all shops and businesses thrived; life was lived in abundance here, as his mother always said.</p>
<p>Uchiha Mikoto often recalled the years she spent in this village with a childlike wonder. Trotting through a busy street in their carriage, Sasuke understood his mother’s attachment now more than ever. He was finally at his clan’s place of origin, and try as he might, he could not shake off the sense of familiarity pleasantly coursing through his body. He had adamantly opposed his father when he first suggested Sasuke accompany Naruto on this trip, but suddenly, he was almost glad that Uchiha Fugaku was such a stubborn man. </p>
<p>The carriage rolled past the humdrum of the business district. Naruto let the curtain fall over the window, sat back, and let out a long, impossibly bright sigh, like he’d been holding an anxious breath all this time.  </p>
<p>“This is nothing like Mom said it was!” He exclaimed, obviously very surprised. “Maybe this won’t be such a drag after all, huh, Sasuke?”</p>
<p>“I had a feeling she was withholding a lot of details on purpose,” Ino added, looking similarly pleased to have had her expectations exceeded.</p>
<p>Sasuke nodded at the siblings sitting across from him, a smile blooming on his lips. Though unlikely, it was entirely possible that they were all simply relieved and seeing everything through rose-tinted glasses because their week long journey was finally coming to a close.</p>
<p>They approached a winding road that curved around a small hill, upon which the Namikaze estate sat sprawling. Naruto drew the curtains back once again to stick his head out the window. </p>
<p>“Wow,” he exhaled in surprise.</p>
<p>The house Namikaze Minato had grown up in stood three stories tall. The roof of each floor flared out into sloping eaves that gave the building a distinct pagoda style look. </p>
<p>Sasuke could see his friend <em> physically </em> vibrating with excitement. As soon as the carriage parked in front of the main entrance, Naruto burst out the door like a loose cannonball. He almost ran straight into the three attendants, who stood in a line on the porch.</p>
<p>“Oh, so sorry—,” </p>
<p>Naruto had been grabbed and pulled into a hug before he could finish. A heavily wrinkled face smiling contentedly rested on his shoulder.</p>
<p>“My, my, aren’t you a spitting image of Minato-sama,” the old woman said, taking a step back but still holding on to his bony shoulders. “And you must be Ino!” </p>
<p>She pulled Ino into a similarly tight hug. “How is it that both of you look exactly like your father? I don’t see a drop of Kushina-sama in either of you!” </p>
<p>Sasuke snorted. The old woman need only spend five minutes with the Uzumaki siblings to see they had taken after their mother in everything except appearance. Naruto was famous in the Land of Whirlpool, not because of personal glory. No, it was because wherever they went, he was instantly recognized as the golden child of his revered parents. Be it the blonde hair and blue eyes, or the crackling temperament that was so easy to get a rise out of—his lineage was clear as day to everyone. Ino, with her lighter hair, got recognized less often, but standing next to Naruto was usually a dead giveaway. </p>
<p>“Ah, you must be Kiyo-baachan!” Naruto deduced, gleaming. “Dad has told us so much about you. He sends his love, -ttebayo!”</p>
<p>“Mom too,” Ino said. She didn’t burn bright like her brother, but the smile on her face was just as warm.</p>
<p>“And this must be Mikoto’s second,” she finally turned to Sasuke, reaching out and patting his back. He was extremely grateful she didn’t try to bulldoze him into the ground with one of her full-body hugs.</p>
<p>“Mother sends her kindest regards,” he relayed, bowing to show his own respect.</p>
<p>The remaining two attendants—one man older and the other middle-aged—bowed at the three of them. They looked at Naruto and Ino familiarly. A stray memory of his mother once talking about the Namikaze estate being kept up by a family of servants resurfaced in Sasuke’s mind. He realized with a start that the group in front of them spanned three generations.</p>
<p>Kiyo’s son—who quickly introduced himself as Daiju and his own son as Enji—showed them inside. </p>
<p>The interior was much grander than anything Sasuke had seen. They lived well and comfortably back in Uzushio, but that was the case for all of its residents. Uzumaki Kushina and her husband had put her dilapidated hometown back together brick by careful brick, thoughtfully steering clear of governing pitfalls that had incited unrest and violence among the original settlers. There was no poverty to speak of in Uzushio, but on the flipside, there was no extravagance either.</p>
<p>Sasuke couldn’t help but feel a little put off as they walked down corridors that had countless pieces of art in gilded frames hanging on the walls. It wasn’t just that this was new and unfamiliar to him. He was simply struggling to reconcile this display of excess wealth with the farming families they had encountered along the edges of the village—men, women, and children who had been knees deep in muddy rice fields, harvesting the fruits of their labor even as it rained heavily.</p>
<p>Naruto and Ino looked positively enchanted, so Sasuke decided to keep these thoughts to himself for now. </p>
<p>Perhaps, a real shower and a full night’s sleep on an actual bed would help him work through some of these worrying discoveries.</p>
<hr/>
<p>It took Sakura a second to realize she was in her room—her <em> own </em> room in the house she’d lived in with her family all her life. The first sleep back from a mission was always disorienting like this. The crick that haunted her neck whenever she slept on unfamiliar surfaces unfortunately did not easily leave her upon homecoming.</p>
<p>Through bleary eyes, she scanned the room she shared with her sister. Columns of sunlight splashed across the hardwood floor was the first thing she processed. Hinata’s side of the room was perfectly tidy, her bed made, her dresser drawers appropriately closed shut with her belongings snugly tucked away, not a single thing out of place. She slowly straightened up and got an eyeful of the other half of the room she occupied. She had only been back one night, and her space already looked like it’d been hit by a tornado. She let out a content sigh, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. It was good to be back home, in the midst of her own habitual mess.</p>
<p>Sakura could hear the twins bickering even before she finished washing. She found her family at the dining table finishing up breakfast when she descended down the stairs. </p>
<p>“But you should not have hit him!” Moegi was saying, exasperated.</p>
<p>“What else are you supposed to do with jackasses?” Hanabi retorted.</p>
<p>“Why is throwing hands always your first response?!”</p>
<p>“Um, we’re shinobis?”</p>
<p>Sakura saw her youngest sisters glaring at each other when she stepped into the dining room. On the other side of the table, TenTen sat shaking her head at the twins, while her father swallowed a huge spoonful of porridge. Hinata was puttering in the kitchen, putting together a bento box for herself.</p>
<p>“Hey girls,” Sakura said placatingly. “A little loud for eight in the morning, dontcha think?”</p>
<p>“Ah, Sakura, there you are,” Tsunade said, looking over the newspaper she had been perusing. “Did you sleep okay, darling?”</p>
<p>Sakura nodded brightly at her mother, just as Hanabi and Moegi chorused, “Sakura-chan!” </p>
<p>“How are my little monkeys?” Sakura asked, pulling on both of their hair. She grabbed some coffee from the carafe on the counter and pulled out her usual chair for a seat.</p>
<p>“When did you get back?” Moegi asked cheerfully, all of her previous frustration forgotten.</p>
<p>“Yesterday. You were out on your fancy C-rank mission, so I missed you,” she said, taking that first magical sip of her very black, very strong coffee.</p>
<p>“I don’t think dusting a warehouse full of ancient scrolls qualifies as ‘fancy’,” Hanabi challenged.</p>
<p>“Hey, that’s still a step above running after feral cats,” Jiraiya chimed in, still shoveling porridge into his mouth.</p>
<p>“True,” Hanabi and Moegi shrugged.</p>
<p>“What are you girls up to today?” Sakura asked.</p>
<p>“We’re helping out at the festival,” Hanabi said, propping her face up on a palm. Her pearly eyes looked devoid of any excitement. Sakura remembered her own younger days filled with mundane missions running errands around the village and sympathized.</p>
<p>“What time should we start heading over?” Tenten asked, clearing the plates. “I want to get there before the entrance becomes a circus.”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah, we’ll need to be there by four,” Sakura agreed, then turned to the kitchen. “Does that work for you, Hina?”</p>
<p>“Splendidly,” Hinata chimed back. She stuffed her bento box into her book bag and snapped it shut by pulling the drawstrings. </p>
<p>“I’ll see you guys at three if there are no ‘incidents’ in class today,” Hinata said ruffling Sakura’s hair. “I’ll send word if I’m running late.” </p>
<p>She said her goodbyes and made out the door for the academy.</p>
<p>“You have to stop by the banana stand!” Moegi chirped, looking at Sakura with hopeful eyes.</p>
<p>“They literally dumped the worst stall on us. You absolutely don’t have to stop by.” Hanabi leveled with older sister.</p>
<p>“That’s not how ‘literally’ works!” Moegi protested, using air quotations. </p>
<p>And with that, the twins got into another tiff. Fortunately for the grown ups, they had finished eating so they dutifully cleared their plates and left the room. They could be heard bickering all the way up to their room on the second floor right until their door closed shut.</p>
<p>Sakura didn’t usually eat breakfast. But after days on the road making do with dried rations, she was left wanting real food. As if she had read Sakura’s mind, Tenten set a steaming bowl of porridge in front of her. </p>
<p>“Thank you, dear!” Tenten beamed and left to get ready for a day of training.</p>
<p>“What’s on your agenda for the day?” Tsunade asked, eyes still fixed on <em> Konoha Times </em>.</p>
<p>“Gotta go see Kakashi-sensei,” Sakura said, taking in the scent of the fresh spring onion garnish. “Apparently we have some dignitaries in town. I’m supposed to take them around the festival.”</p>
<p>“Ah, that must be the party from Uzushio!” Jiraiya exclaimed.</p>
<p>“Address the Hokage properly, Sakura. He is your sensei no longer.” Tsunade scolded, half-heartedly. </p>
<p>“Do you know them?” Sakura asked her father, ignoring her mother. Kakashi-sensei was always going to Kakashi-sensei.</p>
<p>Tsunade finally folded the newspaper and set it down. “Your father had some very specific ideas about entertaining these dignitaries.”</p>
<p>“Not anymore, darling. I gave you my word,” Jiraiya added quickly, reaching for his wife’s hand and squeezing.</p>
<p>“Not like that has stopped you before.”</p>
<p>“Tsunade,” Jiraiya said, dramatically putting a hand over his heart. “What are you talking about? You know I would <em> never </em> betray my beautiful wife’s trust like that.” </p>
<p>“Uh huh.”</p>
<p>They were doing that thing they did, when they had a whole conversation without broaching the actual subject. She was curious but knew better than to inquire after the vague exchange. </p>
<p>Sometimes, Sakura wondered if her parents conversed in a completely different language—one that only the two of them knew.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Cherry blossoms in Fire Country were renowned for their softer shade of pink, which effectively made tourism a huge industry this time of year. Several towns relied on heavy foot traffic during this time to sustain themselves through the slower winter months. </p>
<p>As arguably the most prosperous village in the country, even more so than the capital, Konoha could very well do without the ryos that this specific brand of tourism raked. Offering the services of highly skilled shinobis was always going to be the bread and butter of the village. Nevertheless, no stone was ever left unturned in preparations. The festival had been a highlight of Sakura’s year for as far back as she could remember. A complicated reconnaissance mission had kept her away from home the previous year, so it was only natural that she was doubly excited for the event this year. </p>
<p>Sakura felt some of that enthusiasm dissipate, as she stared at the wildly varied expressions on the three faces in front of her. Blonde boy in the loud orange track suit looked like it was the happiest day of his life, but something told her that this was just the guy’s default. The blonde girl—orange tracksuit’s sister, naturally—looked like she was actively masking her excitement, like sharing it with other people would diminish it somehow. The dark haired boy was the worst. He held his head high, nose almost upturned like something foul pervaded the air around him. A frown marred his face, like he had been forced to be there against his very strong will. Objectively speaking, Sakura knew she was being a little biased. Their earlier encounter had left a rather bitter taste in her mouth, but the boy didn’t look the least bit interested in improving upon his first impression.</p>
<p>“Thank you so much for taking us around, Sakura-chan!” Naruto expressed, exuberantly. Orange tracksuit introduced himself (Uzumaki Naruto), his sister (Uzumaki Ino), and his friend (Uchiha Sasuke). Apparently, he was the only one in the group who could be bothered to speak up.</p>
<p>“I’m Senju Sakura,” she shared, with a little bow of her head. “And these are my sisters Senju Hinata and Senju Tenten.” </p>
<p>Greetings and smiles were exchanged. Even Sasuke made eye contact with all of them and nodded. </p>
<p>Sakura corralled the group into the festivities. With the sun still up, the crowd wasn’t too crazy around the entrance. People moved in small groups like their own, their glacial pace well suited for the relaxed late afternoon atmosphere. Both sides of the street were lined with stalls offering a variety of delicacies and entertainment.   </p>
<p>Naruto walked in step with his sister, the back of his head cradled within the palms of his own interlaced hands. Sasuke followed a couple of paces behind. Despite his initial disinterest, he looked around curiously studying the stalls and their patrons. He seemed particularly keen on the various shades and prints of the kimonos and yukatas festival goers wore.</p>
<p>Distantly, she wondered if they felt out of place in their regular clothes.</p>
<p>“Let me know if you guys have any questions, or if you want to stop and look at something.” Sakura meant to address all three of them, but said it to Naruto mostly. He responded with a jubilant smile, “Will do!” </p>
<p>Sakura stuck closely to her sisters, leading their small group into the heart of the festival. She could spy the first of the blushing blooms almost immediately. It was all she needed to dispel her annoyance. She was buzzing with excitement again.</p>
<p>Hinata suggested they stop to grab dinner at Ichiraku Ramen, and Naruto yelled in agreement. Sakura smiled when it occurred to her, that between the two of them, their little group probably had both the quietest and loudest people in all of Konoha right now.</p>
<p>“Hinata-chan,” Teuchi greeted warmly, when they approached the ramen stand. “Good to see my most loyal patron. Having the usual, dear?”</p>
<p>“Please and thank you,” Hinata said, smiling.</p>
<p>“What’s good here?” Naruto asked, plopping himself on the stool next to Hinata.</p>
<p>“Oh,” Hinata startled, but found her composure after a moment. “Everything here is good really, but my favorite is the Miso Pork Tonkatsu.”</p>
<p>“Ooo, that <em> does </em>sound delicious. I’m totally getting that!” Naruto’s eyes shone with anticipation as he put his order in. </p>
<p>When the food arrived, Naruto gobbled everything down as Ino and Sasuke stared at him with barely concealed disgust.</p>
<p>He slurped the last of the noodles and set his bowl down with a loud <em> clunk </em>.</p>
<p>“Another!” Naruto cried out at the same time Hinata softly said, “One more, please!”</p>
<p>They looked at each other absolutely delighted. Naruto burst into laughter, and Hinata giggled along, a light blush dusting her cheeks.</p>
<p>Tenten inched closer to Sakura, and whispered, “Are you seeing what I am seeing?”</p>
<p>Sakura turned to her younger sister and nodded conspiratorially. It was so rare to see Hinata open up to someone new. She was a gentle soul by nature, most comfortable in her own bubble because most people didn’t take the same care with her as she did with them. Sakura felt warm inside watching her sister strike up a friendship with the most unlikely of people.</p>
<p>Naruto and Hinata were in a world of their own after that, as he talked animatedly and she responded with her usual softness. It was like watching someone clanging pots and pans but still somehow getting through to the other person.  </p>
<p>The group reshuffled as a result. Tenten and Ino somehow got into a very serious discussion about the pros and cons of fighting with her long hair. The blonde warmed up to Tenten after she gushed about her thick, shining hair. Ino, in turn, started sharing her detailed step by step hair care routine with the brunette.</p>
<p>This left Sakura with Sasuke. He looked just as uncomfortable at this turn of events. He resolutely kept his eyes on the stalls on his own side of the street, not even sparing a glance her way. Sakura felt her irritation resurfacing. She wasn’t sure what she had done to elicit such an icy treatment, but she was going to get to the bottom of it.</p>
<p>“Do you have a problem with me?” She blurted out, before her rational side could interject.</p>
<p>Sasuke turned to her, considering her with the kind of suspicion and wariness people usually reserved for muggers. “What?”</p>
<p>“Did I do something to offend you?” She repeated, refusing to let up.</p>
<p>“Um,” he struggled, but finally said, “Not really.”</p>
<p>He looked confused now, and for a moment, Sakura had a terrible feeling that she had completely misjudged him, given him attitude over nothing. What if he was just a grump all the time, and it wasn’t anything personal!</p>
<p>“Okay,” she said, awkwardly. He turned away again, like she carried a communicable disease. Shrugging the negativity off, she decided to be the bigger person and extend an olive branch. </p>
<p>Casually—like she hadn’t just almost thrown a hissy fit—she asked, “How was your journey?”</p>
<p>A beat. </p>
<p>“Long.” </p>
<p>Several beats.</p>
<p>Uchiha Sasuke, it seemed, was a man of very, very few words. She pursed her lips, marveling at how he had managed to end the conversation before it even began. Fortunately, they were approaching the canal so she didn’t need to engage in this painful interaction any longer.</p>
<p>The sun had gone down by now. The cherry blossom trees lining the canal curved over the water, almost forming a dome of pink for the rowing boats underneath. Rows of string lights hung over the blossoms giving the pink of their bloom a warm, incandescent glow. The water reflected not only the beautiful scenery and the lights wrapped around it, but also the euphoria it inspired in festival goers.</p>
<p>Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura spotted Hinata and Naruto hopping into a boat, their faces still bright and lovely. Tenten and Ino followed suit in the next boat.</p>
<p>Sakura knew she was going to end up alone with Sasuke again, but she hardly cared anymore. She was flying so high right now, even his grouchiness could not bring her down. Sasuke hesitated on the dock but eventually managed to get on the boat. They rowed in silence under a kaleidoscope of pink—constantly shifting with the light. </p>
<p>It was close to perfect.</p>
<hr/>
<p>This was a fucking joke.</p>
<p>It had to be.</p>
<p>Sasuke groaned internally, trying to tally up the ridiculousness of it all. First, she turned up as the guide that the lazy-eyed Hokage had saddled them with. Then, there was the matter of her being a Senju—something, he was sure, would have his ancestors rolling in their graves very soon. To top it all off, her preposterous hair was the exact shade of pink as the cherry blossoms they were all gathered here to admire.</p>
<p>He couldn’t make this shit up if he <em> tried </em>.</p>
<p>No matter which way he looked at it—and Sasuke looked from several angles, stealing glances when she couldn’t notice—Senju Sakura was an aggravatingly lovely creature. </p>
<p>It was a good thing Sasuke’s entire life had been a masterclass in the art of holding back. He just needed to get over this initial shock of feelings. All would be fine once he found level ground again.</p>
<p>Later, after the whole group had reconvened on the stone path lining the canal, Sasuke excused himself to splash some cold, sobering water in his face. Ino cornered him on his way back, trying to get a rise out of him as usual.</p>
<p>“So, this Sakura chick,” she started, falling into step beside him. “What’s her deal?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know. You could ask her yourself.”</p>
<p>“I would if you weren’t constantly orbiting her like the fucking moon,” she said evenly. “Why? Has the impossible-to-impress Uchiha Sasuke taken a liking to her?”</p>
<p>He decided he needed to nip this in the bud, and not give Ino any reason to suspect he was even the slightest bit affected. “Definitely not with that obnoxious head of hair,” he said, harshly.</p>
<p>Ino burst out laughing, slapping a hand against his arm. “You can be real funny sometimes, Sasuke.”</p>
<p>Well, that wasn’t too hard when the universe seemed set on making him the punchline of the joke.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>so clearly, i'm taking a lot of liberties with the set up. minato and kushina are alive and well in the village they rebuilt from scratch, and the uchiha massacre never happened. i'll get into the whys and hows of this worked out later in the story.</p>
<p>big thanks to everyone who commented on the first chapter. y'all have me super stoked about continuing this story. &lt;3</p>
<p>i would love to hear your thoughts again!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The Uchihas once resided in Konoha. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Along with the Senjus, they had founded the village hidden in the Leaf. Senju Hashirama was held in the same regard as Uchiha Madara, even today. But Hashirama’s successor—his own brother—had quickly made it clear he didn’t see the Uchiha clan as comrades or even allies. The Nidaime had been a formidable shinobi, one who created jutsus that would have wide ripple effects in the shinobi world for decades past his time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The story went that cracks in the Senju-Uchiha alliance were first created by Tobirama’s express distrust of the sharingan. He had once famously said that he couldn’t trust what he didn’t understand. As a consequence, the Uchihas suffered for something they had no control over. By Sandaime's time, the clan had been relegated to the outskirts of the village and its affairs. Tasked with running the civilian Police Force, they were ostracized from all things shinobi.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Things had to get much, </span>
  <em>
    <span>much</span>
  </em>
  <span> worse before they got better. There were whispers of a coup, sinister rumors about the village orchestrating a massacre of the entire Uchiha clan. There’s no saying what atrocities would have befallen the clan if the Yondaime hadn’t intervened. Conflict simmered down in the following years, and when Namikaze Minato retired to help his wife rebuild Uzushiogare, he extended Uchiha Fugaku an invitation to join them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Uzushiogare had allowed the clan to prosper once again. Yet you never stopped hearing the name </span>
  <em>
    <span>Senju Tobirama</span>
  </em>
  <span> within the Uchiha circles. Over the years, the man had become an urban legend—his name considered inauspicious, and muttered only to put the fear of God into misbehaving children.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sasuke was pondering this history because he couldn’t stop thinking about a different Senju. One with startling green eyes and cherry blossom pink hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sakura</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Was it the hair that inspired the name, or had the roots felt compelled to oblige after the fact?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Naruto had not stopped talking about Hinata after the festival. The pair chatted for a couple of hours, if that, but he was convinced that they were kindred spirits. He wanted to see her again to continue this unexpected friendship, though it was clear to anyone with half a brain that he wanted to be more than just friends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sasuke had seen his friend with girls before—the ones he liked, the ones he dated, and the ones who never stuck around. Naruto wore his heart on his sleeves. He lived loudly and loved proudly. Maybe because he was such a genuine guy, straightforward in every way that the games people played with his heart always ended with him on the losing end. Over the years, Sasuke had grown increasingly protective of his friend’s ever bleeding heart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt wary watching his friend preparing to dive off a cliff with nary a single failsafe in place to ensure his own safety once again. Moderation was a concept foreign to Naruto. If he had to fall, he was willing to let every last one of his bones break along the way. Senju Hinata seemed like a nice enough person, but Sasuke had been burned by unlikely people before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Senju. Senju. Senju.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The name echoed inside his head ominously as he watched Naruto spiritedly tell Hinata about his chakra nature. The eldest Senju sister had offered to show them around the market, but the only person who was actually looking around was Ino. Their group walked at a glacial pace, not only so Ino wouldn’t be left far behind as she flitted in and out of various shops, but also because the pair giggling in front of him clearly wanted to lengthen their time together. Sasuke wondered if they realized how obvious they were being.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, it was not like he was in any position to question his friend’s motivations when he’d felt strangely disheartened when Hinata showed up at their temporary residence alone this morning. Without even admitting it to himself, he’d been hoping Sakura would have tagged along.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sakura is training her genin team today,” Hinata had shared, when Naruto asked after her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was a jounin sensei, Hinata had said. The designation meant little to Sasuke. Uzushio did not categorize their shinobis. Their village did not make a trade out of ninja arts, so the ranking would have been meaningless anyway. He was curious about Sakura’s abilities though. She had a petite form—that she was able to harness her chakra into such precise herculean strength was a feat of its own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For lunch, they stopped at the same ramen stand as last time. Naruto asked Teuchi, the owner, if he would be interested in expanding his business, branch out into other hidden villages because, “This is some </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span> shit, -ttebayo!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Teuchi seemed like a good-natured man, as he played along. “Maybe in the next lifetime! These old bones are barely able to keep this one shop running.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The pair were too enthralled with each other to notice, but Sasuke didn’t miss the old man slipping some extra slices of pork into the bowls he set in front of Naruto and Hinata. Sasuke didn’t have particularly strong feelings about ramen himself, but he decided he would give this kind man plenty of his business during their stay in Konoha.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They circled around the rest of the market afterwards. Naruto dragged his feet until he made the </span>
  <em>
    <span>excellent</span>
  </em>
  <span> suggestion that they should continue their walk to see the village’s training grounds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’ll be nice to see Sakura-chan too!” Naruto said, excitedly. Sasuke loved his friend like a brother, and would lay down his life for the guy no questions asked, but in that moment, he loved him just a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little</span>
  </em>
  <span> bit more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a beautiful day, and Sasuke was not ready to retire just yet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re probably just about done with training. Oh, what perfect timing!” Hinata exclaimed, her normally mild voice rising an octave.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They encountered another jounin with his own squad of snot-nosed kids along the way. “Done with training already, Shikamaru?” Hinata asked the man.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” He said at the same time the children following him mouthed. “No!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shikamaru sighed, fixing the kids with a long suffering look. “What a drag,” he muttered, sounding like even getting the words out of his mouth had been a struggle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hinata laughed at that, and proceeded to introduce him to their group.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uzumaki Ino,” Ino proffered her name before Hinata could. She looked a little too interested for a random encounter with a random person on the street. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m Nara Shikamaru,” he said, raising a hand in a lazy wave. He pointed to his genin squad. “And these are my gremlins, I suppose.”   </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ino guffawed at that, like the guy had said something unbelievably witty. She playfully slapped his arm as if they were lifelong friends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. Sasuke rolled his eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s three out of three,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought incredulously. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>People in Konoha were going to think romance was banned in Uzushio or something, at the rate they were going.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, at least he didn’t intend to make any show of his interest in Senju Sakura. It wasn’t noteworthy in the least. One of the reasons they had made this long trek to Konoha was to get familiar with the place of their origins. Sasuke’s fascination with Sakura was merely an extension of his curiosity about Konoha at large. Nothing more.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They bid goodbye to Shikamaru, but not before Ino somehow managed to convince the guy to meet her at a bar later that night. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they got to the clearing that overlooked the training grounds, Sasuke was once again taken by the swaths of greenery that surrounded them. He was used to seeing the teal of splashing ocean waves and the dark blue of still water. This stark change in landscape was as disorienting as it was enchanting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“SAKURA-CHAN!” Naruto yelled across the field, scaring several flocks of birds that scattered across the clearing in a frenzy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were still quite some distance away, but Sasuke could see Sakura sitting on a patch of grass with a group of kids who looked close in age to Shikamaru’s squad. She raised an arm and waved widely. Sasuke’s stomach flipped in anticipation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they approached the training field, it became clear that the kids were exhausted and pretty much out of commission. Two boys laid on the grass, arms and legs splayed wide like a starfish, their tiny chests rising and falling rapidly. A girl with violet hair—who was not wound up as the boys—sat next to Sakura, looking at them curiously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How come you guys are here?” Sakura asked, smiling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We were just walking around the market, and Naruto-kun said he wanted to see the training grounds.” Hinata said, walking up to Sakura and standing in front of her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah,” Sakura said, a bright open smile dancing on her lips. “You’ve taken the reins to help them get around, huh, Hina?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, it was—just, it’s the weekend so—I was free anyway,” Hinata sputtered, cheeks glowing a soft pink.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We really appreciate the help both of you have extended,” Naruto said, sincerely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How are you liking Konoha?” Sakura asked, reaching behind herself for a canteen of water. Sasuke tried not to stare as she tipped the canteen back and took a few, long gulps. Her exposed neck, smooth and long, proved to be a disquieting sight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s very different,” Sasuke said, even though Sakura had expressly directed the question at Naruto. He decided he needed to say something before this girl got him well and truly tongue tied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sakura’s eyes flitted to him, all the warmth they previously held dissipating unceremoniously. Sasuke felt a chill rise up his spine. They hadn’t hit it off at the festival, so he was expecting some stiffness. He had not at all been prepared for the blatant hostility that radiated off of her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I see,” she said, coolly, before turning to set her gaze back on Naruto and Ino. The smile was curiously back on her face, as she asked, “Is this your first time in Konoha?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Naruto and Sasuke were actually born here,” Ino said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh really?” Hinata asked, a small hint of surprise in her tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, but I don’t remember anything,” Naruto said, bashfully rubbing the back of his head. “I think I was two or three maybe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We read about the Yondaime's unexpected decision to move to Uzushio after the end of the Third Shinobi World War in our textbooks. Your father is a legend.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s really funny,” Naruto chuckled. “Because at home, Mom is very much the undisputed boss.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She has him wrapped around her finger,” Ino added, shaking her head as a light smile curled around her lips. “It’s as sickening as it is sweet.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sakura laughed, the timbre of her voice pleasant. Hinata seemed amused too. She giggled with a delicate hand pressed over her mouth. If Sasuke didn’t already know, he would have never been able to guess they were sisters.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What brings you guys to Konoha anyway?” Sakura asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A few different things,” Naruto said, getting uncharacteristically serious. “But the long and short of it is curiosity, I guess. I’ve always wondered about Mom and Dad’s life before they moved to Uzushio. They left a lot of dear things behind when they left Konoha.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We grew up hearing a lot about the village,” Ino added, warmly. “This trip’s been a long time coming.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One of the boys who’d been lying down sat up straight. “Sakura sensei, who are your new friends?” He asked, suddenly interested.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re shinobi just like you and me,” Sakura said, ruffling the boy’s dark hair. “They’re visiting from Uzushio.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“From Whirlpool?” The boy asked in disbelief.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Naruto said, smiling. “Have you ever been?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve never even met anyone from Whirlpool,” he said, dazedly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me neither!” The second boy and the violet-haired girl echoed in unison.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The kids swarmed Naruto, happily jumping and throwing rapid questions at him. In the next moment, they had pulled him into their training field to have him demonstrate some of his foreign jutsus.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Naruto vibes on the same frequency as little children,” Ino said, smiling fondly. “That’s why they get along so well.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He seems to get along well with everyone,” Hinata said quietly, as she watched Naruto spin up a mini rasengan for the kids</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Knowing looks were exchanged between Ino and Sakura. Sasuke kept a straight face, wondering why Sakura had been so cold earlier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hinata,” Ino called, crossing her arms. “You should come out tonight with us. We’re gonna grab some drinks at The Forbidden Scroll.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh.” Hinata looked a little taken aback by the invitation. “Um, sure. I probably won’t be able to stay long, but I can stop by for a bit.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Great!” Ino nodded, brightly. It appeared the younger Uzumaki was finally warming up to the Senju sisters. “Sakura, you should come too!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sakura stood up and started dusting her skirt. “I would, but I don’t want to offend anyone’s delicate sensibilities with this obnoxious head of hair,” she shrugged, pointing at her own hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took Sasuke a moment to realize what she’d said. When it clicked, he suddenly found himself violently wishing for the ground to split open and swallow him whole.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Oooh ho ho</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Ino burst out in some combination of shock and amusement. She turned to Sasuke, eyeing him regretfully like she might a cat that had just been dunked in cold water.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hinata looked at her sister questioningly. Sakura shook her head. “It’s nothing. Carry on without me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She cocked her eyes at him, fixing him with one last challenging look, before she turned to put an end to an impromptu shadow clone demonstration. The kids might have protested, and distantly, Sasuke may have heard Naruto express his own disappointment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He could not be sure though. Sasuke was reeling, for this had to be the single most mortifying moment of his entire life. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Definitely not with that head of obnoxious hair.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If she hadn’t heard it herself, she would have had a hard time believing it. Because it didn’t add up. She hadn’t even known him yesterday, and today—he was talking smack about her like she had ruined an entire year’s worth of his crops.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sakura did not have any disillusions about being liked by everyone. She understood many people didn’t for good reason. She could be temperamental—a trait she surely inherited from her hot-headed mother. She had been called </span>
  <em>
    <span>too sentimental</span>
  </em>
  <span> by a mission taichou last year, though she failed to see why that was a bad thing. She was stubborn and impulsive, a combination that could prove to be deadly for a shinobi.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She accepted what people perceived as her shortcomings. None of it was a point of shame for her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But hearing him disdainfully ridicule her hair hurt like a nasty pinch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yes, the coloring of her hair was unusual. No, it wasn’t a free pass for him to hold her inferior.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was infuriating that Uchiha Sasuke—with his snobby, too good for Konoha attitude—would belittle people over things they had no control over, like someone’s genetic makeup. She hadn’t worked through her feelings of insecurity to do with her large forehead for this </span>
  <em>
    <span>prick</span>
  </em>
  <span> to show up out of nowhere and take another shot at her self-esteem.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had to admit though. Watching the color drain out of his face when she threw his own words back at him had been delightful.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are going to over knead that dough,” her father said, effectively bringing her back to the kitchen where she was helping him cook dinner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” Sakura said, staring at the dough in front of her looking a little worse for wear. “Sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Something on your mind, sweetheart?” He asked, knowingly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s nothing,” she said, putting the dough into a steel bowl and setting it on the counter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked at her for a couple of moments, giving her another opportunity to tell him if anything was bothering her. When she shook her head and smiled, he went back to chopping a thick stalk of scallion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Having done her part, Sakura moved to the dining table where she set the herbs and flowers she had picked up in the morning. She was almost out of healing salve, so she needed to replenish her supplies before she was sent away on a new mission. Then, she decided she was going to work on a bigger batch, so she could restock the supplies at the clinic too. Shizune would appreciate that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was just as she was dumping some calendula flowers into the mortar that her father spoke again. “It looks like it’s going to rain this evening.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked out the window, at the sky getting swallowed by a blanket of sordid grey. “I guess it is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Say Sakura, your sister has been spending a lot of time with that Uzumaki kid, hasn’t she?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hm, I guess she has.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s he like anyway?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uzumaki Naruto—was that his name?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Naruto is really sweet. Can be a </span>
  <em>
    <span>bit</span>
  </em>
  <span> much sometimes, but he seems like a good egg.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, how </span>
  <em>
    <span>wonderful</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” He said, with a lot of flourish.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sakura looked away from the burnt orange of the squashed calendula to observe her father. He stood in front of the gas stove, stirring a pot of chicken curry with a ladle and humming his happy tune.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dad.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sakura narrowed her eyes. “You’re up to something, aren’t you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The smug smile on his face was replaced by a look of alarm. “Whatever do you mean, darling?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on,” she coaxed, crossing her arms. “Spit it out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’d be annoying how sharp you are if you weren’t my own child,” he sighed. He turned the stove heat to low, and conspiratorially tip toed over to the dining table. “You can’t talk to your mother about it. Or your sister, come to think of it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sakura was sufficiently intrigued. To be honest, her father was </span>
  <em>
    <span>always</span>
  </em>
  <span> up to something. Inspiration had eluded him since he published the last of the Icha Icha books half a decade ago. Without a creative outlet to channel his innate mischief, he’d started projecting dramatics into real life. He had become quite the busybody around the village—trying to find that spark of storytelling in the humdrum of everyday life. Even though it wasn’t the creative pursuit he had envisioned, he seemed fine with how things had turned out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kakashi-sensei though had been devastated. He’d shown up drunk at their doorstep one night, crying about how the brilliance of the Icha Icha series must not be buried.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>You can’t abandon me, Jiraiya-sama!</span>
  </em>
  <span> He had implored.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sakura saw her father inching closer across the dining table, looking ready to come clean. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, there was a loud, sure knock on the front door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her father retreated back to his seat, grinning like a cheshire cat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe his penchant for dramatics really was crossing over into their actual lives. This was not his only ‘saved by the bell’ moment by far.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sakura gave her father a dirty look as she got up to go answer the door. “This is not over,” she grumbled, even as she knew it’d be next to impossible to get him to squeal after this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She huffed in frustration, wondering if Hinata was already returning from her outing with their new friends. She realized immediately that it was not her sister who stood on the other side of the front door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before she could do anything, Tenten had raced down the stairs and thrown the door open. Sakura walked into the foyer and saw the man standing at her stoop. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sasuke-kun?” Tenten asked, voice wavering with uncertainty, because why in the world would Uchiha Sasuke show up here of all places.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello,” he said, cordially. Then, nodding at her form, frozen still under the foyer, he continued, “I was hoping to have a chat with Sakura.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>updates may be slower from here on out, i'm going to be shifting gears and working on my other sasusaku fic next. as always, please let me know what you thought! feedback really is the fuel that keeps this fire burning.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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